LIGN 111 - Will Styler

# Opaque Rule Orderings

### Will Styler - LIGN 111

---

### Today's Plan

- Teaching Feedback

- A note on Neutralization

- A vacuous term

- Transparent vs. Opaque Rule Orderings

- Counter-feeding and Counter-Bleeding

---

## Teaching Feedback

---

### Thanks for all the feedback!

- I'm always adjusting things like speed, timing, etc

- Slides are posted on the Syllabus (every lecture day is a clickable link!)

- We'll go over the group material a bit more

- "The memes are a bit outdated, I guess."

---

### I'm on it!

---

## Neutralization

---

### We've been dealing with a lot of problems where a contrast 'disappears'

- Two words *are* distinctive underlyingly

- ... but element of phonology makes that contrast go away

---

### Russian Devoicing

<center>
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.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Nom. sg.</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Dat. sg.</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Nom. pl.</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Gloss</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[rok]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[roɡu]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[roɡa]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">‘horn’</td>
  </tr>
    <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[rak]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[raku]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[raki]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">‘crayfish’</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[porok]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[poroɡu]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[poroɡi]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">‘threshold’</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[porok]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[poroku]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[poroki]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">‘vice’</td>
  </tr>
</table>

</center>

---

## Neutralization

When a phonemic contrast 'disappears' in certain environments due to phonological rules

- "These words are underlyingly different, but the same on the surface"

---

### Neutralization is *really* common

- You've been dealing with it already

- ... and it's time you had the word for it

---

... speaking of terms...

---

## Vacuous Application

When a rule applies to a given form without having any effect

---

### Obstruent voicing rule

<danger>[-voice,-son] -> [+voice] / __V</danger>

- <img class="r-stretch" src="humorimg/drake_nah.jpg" alt="$txt">

---

### Obstruent voicing rule

<correct>[-son] -> [+voice] / __V</correct>

- <img class="r-stretch" src="humorimg/drake_yeah.jpg" alt="$txt">

---

### Rules can apply to forms while having no effect
    
- [-son] -> [+voice] / __V will apply to /da/, but not result in any change

- [-syll] -> [-high] / [-high]C0__ will apply to /e/, but nothing changes

- The output can be the same as the input, and the rule can be fine

---

### Adding feature X to a segment with feature X does nothing

- So, feel free to make your rules a bit more compact

---

### This is different from when the the environment isn't present

- [-son] -> [+voice] / __V doesn't affect /na/
    
- The rule doesn't have the opportunity to apply

---

# Now, for something completely different!

---

... I know what you're thinking ...

- ### "Will, I want solving phonological problems to be more complex!"

---

## OK!

---

### Lomongo

- **Gliding**: [-low] -> [-syll] / __V

- **Yet [oina] is present in the language on the surface!**

---

## Opaque Interactions

---

### We've looked at Single-Rule Problems

- There's just one alternation in the dataset, or several alternations stemming from one rule

---

### We've looked at Multi-Rule problems *without interactions*

- Several rules, but they affect different segments

- (... or the same segments in different contexts)
    
- Here, **the ordering of the rules doesn't matter**

---

### Then, there are interacting rules

- Multiple rules affecting the same segment(s) or region(s) of the word

- One of the rules applies not to the UR, but to the output of another rule!

- Here, **the ordering of the rules is crucial**

---

### We've looked at "feeding" rule interactions

- Where one rule *provides a context* for another rule to apply

---

###  Aspiration and Approx. Devoicing Derivation (Final)

<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/plæt/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/splæt/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/pæt/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/læs/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Aspiration</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| pʰlæt |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| pʰæt | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Approx. Devoicing</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"><correct>| pʰl̥æt |</correct></td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"><correct>[pʰl̥æt]</correct></td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[splæt]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[pʰæt]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[læs]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>

---

### We've looked at "bleeding" rule interactions

- Where one rule *removes a context* for another rule to apply

---

### English Plural Derivation (Final)

<center>
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.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-0lax">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/kæt + z/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/dag + z/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/dɪʃ + z/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">V Epenthesis</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| dɪʃɪz |</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Voicing Assim.</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| kæts |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[kæts]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[dagz]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[dɪʃɪz]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>

---

### Feeding and Bleeding interactions are *transparent*

- Both rules are "visible"

- The rules seem to "always apply" on the surface

- You can look at the surface forms and see that these rules are not violated!

---

### There are two other kinds of rule orderings which are *opaque*

---

## Phonological Opacity

When phonological processes interact in ways that may obscure the applicability or application of a given process

---

### Opaque Rule Orderings

- Counterfeeding order - One rule "fails to feed" another

- Counterbleeding order - One rule "fails to bleed" another

---

### Counterbleeding and Counterfeeding rule orderings are *opaque*

- Sometimes, you'll see something 'illegal' happening on the surface

- Your rule appears to fail to apply in some cases

- Your rule appears to over-apply in some cases

- The rule exists, but it can appear to be violated or over-applied in some situations

- It is not "surface true"

- Opaque orderings are trickier, theoretically and practically

---

### These names are not great

- "Counter" here means the counterfactual inverse

- "Rule A *would* feed rule B if ordered first, but instead, Rule B comes first.

- "Rule C *would* bleed rule D if ordered first, but instead, Rule D comes first.

---

## Counterfeeding Ordering

Rule A *fails to feed* rule B

- Rule A would feed rule B, but it applies too late!

---

### Let's look at a counterfeeding ordering!

---

### Lomongo

- (Remember Wednesday?)

- **Gliding**: [-low] -> [-syll] / __V

- **C Deletion**: [+voi,-son] -> ∅ / V__

---

### Lomongo 
<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/o+bina/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/o+isa/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/ba+bina/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[-low] -> [-syll] / \_\_V </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"> | wisa | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[+voi,-son] -> ∅ / V\_\_ </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| oina | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| baina |</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[oina]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[wisa]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[baina]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>
<br>
- ### The Gliding rule is *violated on the surface* by [oina]

---

### A rule exists, but isn't always followed

- <img class="r-stretch" src="humorimg/this_is_fine.jpg" alt="$txt">

---

### Counterfeeding ordering is opaque

- Rules should be given a chance to apply to all words in the language

- ... but it doesn't seem to apply to some forms

- The correct ordering *fails to feed* that rule

- The rule *seems* like it was violated
    
- When it actually *failed to apply* to an earlier, intermediate form of the word

---

### The Counterfeeding Motto

- "This rule seems like it should have applied here, but it didn't!"

---

## Counterbleeding

---

### Counterbleeding Ordering

Rule A *fails to bleed* rule B

- Rule A would bleed rule B, but it applies too late!

---

### Low German

- **Spirantization**: [-son,+voice] -> [+cont] / V__

- **Devoicing**: [-son] -> [-voice] / __#

---

### Low German

<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/ta:g/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/ta:g+ə/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/haʊz/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[-son,+voice] -> [+cont] / V\_\_</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| ta:ɣ |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"> | ta:ɣə | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[-son] -> [-voice] / \_\_# </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| ta:x | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| haʊs |</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[ta:x]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[ta:ɣə]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[haʊs]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>
<br>
- ### Spirantization *shouldn't affect a voiceless sound*, but it seems like it did on the surface!

---

### Counterbleeding ordering is opaque

- Rules should have the same effects throughout the language

- ... but it seems to be applying where it shouldn't

- The correct ordering *fails to bleed* that rule

- The rule *seems* like it applied where it shouldn't
    
- ... but it actually just applied earlier, to an intermediate form where it should have

---

### The Counterbleeding Motto

- "This rule *shouldn't* apply here, but it seems to have!"

---

### Let's try and identify a rule ordering!

---

### English tapping and raising!

- **Tapping**: [+ant, -cont, -lat] -> [-cons] / __[+syll, -stress]

- ... and in some dialects...

- **Raising**: /aɪ/ -> [ʌɪ] / __[-syll,-voice]

- (Feature specification and diphthongs is tricky)
    
---

### English Tapping and Raising - Dialect 1

<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/waɪt+əɹ/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/waɪd+əɹ/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[+ant, -cont, -lat] -> [-cons] / \_\_[+syll, -stress]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| waɪɾəɹ |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"> | waɪɾəɹ | </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">/aɪ/ -> [ʌɪ] / \_\_[-syll,-voice] </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">-- </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[waɪɾəɹ]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[waɪɾəɹ]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>
<br>
- ### What kind of rule ordering is this?  Do we have a name for what happened at the end?

---

### English Tapping and Raising - Dialect 1

- Here, tapping **bleeds** raising in "Whiter"

- Raising could apply, but tapping removes the environment (__[-syll, -voice]) it would need
    
- The result is neutralization ("whiter" and "wider" become homophones)

---

### English Tapping and Raising - Dialect 2

<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/waɪt+əɹ/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/waɪd+əɹ/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">/aɪ/ -> [ʌɪ] / \_\_[-syll,-voice] </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| wʌɪtəɹ |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
  </tr>
   <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[+ant, -cont, -lat] -> [-cons] / \_\_[+syll, -stress]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| wʌɪɾəɹ |</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"> | waɪɾəɹ | </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[wʌɪɾəɹ]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[waɪɾəɹ]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>
<br>
- ### What kind of rule ordering is this?

---

### English Tapping and Raising - Dialect 1

- Here, tapping **counterbleeds** raising in "Whiter"

- Tapping *would* bleed raising, but it applies too late!
    
- It looks like the rule *overapplied*

- You shouldn't get [ʌɪ] before a voiced sound
    
- There's no longer any neutralization!

- *Dialects can differ in rule ordering!*

---

### Western Basque

- **Mid Raising** - [-low] -> [+high] / __V

- **Low Raising** - [+low] -> [-low] / __V

---

### Western Basque

<center>
<style type="text/css">
.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:black;}
.tg .tg-1wig{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}
</style>
<table class="tg">
  <tr>
    <th class="tg-1wig">Underlying Form</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/alaba+a/</th>
    <th class="tg-1wig">/seme+e/</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[-low] -> [+high] / \_\_V </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">--</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| semie |</td>
  </tr>
   <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">[+low] -> [-low] / \_\_V</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">| alabea | </td>
    <td class="tg-0lax"> -- </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td class="tg-1wig">Surface Form</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[alabea]</td>
    <td class="tg-0lax">[semie]</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center>

- ### What kind of rule ordering is this?

---

### Western Basque

- Here, mid raising **counterfeeds** low raising

- Low raising *would* feed mid-raising, but it happens too late!
    
- It looks like the rule was violated

- You shouldn't get [e] before a vowel, but we did!

---

### Opacity is really tricky!

- You get things on the surface that break your rules

- ... and rules that seem to apply more often than they should

- Your rules may be true, but not *surface true*

---

### Opacity is also theoretically interesting

- Learning a rule that's regularly violated might be tougher

- Handling opacity is a major area of differentiation among phonological theories

- This is a bit beyond this class, but really interesting!

---

### The problem solving process doesn't change!

- You're still generating rules

- Then tweaking their orderings until things work

- Then including derivation tables to show explain your analysis (always!)

- **But you should think about opacity!**

- Your rules might not be broken, just their orderings.

- *That form might not be an exception at all.*

---

### Wrapping up

- Neutralization is where phonology causes contrasts to disappear

- Rule interactions can be transparent, or opaque

- Counterfeeding orderings result in rules which should have applied, but didn't

- Counterbleeding orderings result in rules which seem to apply where they shouldn't

- Opacity is a royal pain, but really cool!

---

### Next time

- Some counter(C0)eeding interactions!

---

<huge>Thank you!</huge>